Buckle frame and covering therefor



Jan. 10, 1956 M. H. BALLARD 2,729,867

BUCKLE FRAME AND COVERING THEREFOR Filed July 5. 1951 ATTORNEYS.

Un W 8 Pat 'fifO r H BUCKLE FRAME AND COVERING mnnnnon Mary Heloise Ballard, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Ballard Belt and Buckle Company, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 5, 1951, Serial No. 235,228

l Claim. (01.24-176) This invention relates to a buckle frame and covering and more particularly to an improvement of the buckle frame and covering disclosed in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,380,383, dated July 31, 1945. It has been found that-buckle frames of a substantially square conformation and the covering therefor cannot be successfully constructed in conformity with the teach ing and claims of my buckle and covering disclosed in my UnitedStates Letters PatentNog 2,380,383 because the buckle frame portions at the point where stress is generally placed when the buckles are in use, lack the necessary strength and rigidity and are otherwise deficient as will be more particularly set forth.

It has been found that by increasing the width of the free-end portions of the buckle frame and employing the construction of the buckle frame shown in the drawings and described hereafter, the necessary strength and rigidity are obtained. Furthermore, this provides a greater area for frictional contact with the belting which prevents the belt from slipping through the buckle when prongs are not used on the belt.

If narrow free-end portions are used the buckle frame is generally made concave to provide the additional gripping area which results in an increased cost of manufacture of the buckle frames. By employing the teaching of my invention all of these problems are not encountered and my solution to these problems for squaretype buckle frames can also be employed with other types of buckle frames and their coverings.

It is therefore a general object of my invention to provide for an improved buckle frame which can be readily covered by a buckle frame covering.

A further object of my invention is to provide a buckle frame having wide freeend portions and which, nevertheless, is still adaptable for a tubular covering to be readily assembled thereon, as well as to be easily removed therefrom.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a buckle frame which is less expensive to manufacture while providing a greater gripping area when buckle prongs are not used with the belting.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide an improved construction of square-type buckle frame which hasthe necessary strength and rigidity for its intended purpose.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. My invention, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, can best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a biased-cut fabric in tubular form and under longitudinal tension which can be placed on my improved buckle frame;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of my new and im- M 2,729,857 Patented Jan. 10, 1956 ICC.

z proved buckle frame with a free-end portion telescopically receiving the tubular buckle covering;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of my new and improved 'belt buckle frame completely encased by the tubular covering;

Figure 5 is an elevational view of a modified form of my new and improved buckle frame; and

Figure 6 is an elevational view of said modified form of my new and improved buckle frame encased by a buckle covering.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a strip of ordinary fabric which has been cut on the bias (the effects of which have been fully set forth in my above mentioned United States Letters Patent) and folded lengthwise upon itself and stretched or put under tension and stitched while under tension to form a tube 10. Stitching the fabric under tension permits the tube to contract after stitching and subsequently permits the tube to be longitudinally stretched or put under tension when put on the buckle frame B. After the stitching operation the tube is generally turned inside out so that the stitching is on the interior and thus a better appearance is given to the tube 10.

In some forms of the invention both ends of the tube are desired to be open and the open ends are anchored either to the buckle frame or are overlapped and stitched together. In other forms one end of the tube may be closed to serve as a stop when the tube is telescoped and stretched over the buckle frame B. The tube 10 should be made of a size or width to correspond to the greatest cross-sectional area of the buckle frame B, which generally varies in cross-sectional dimensions. The buckle frame B may have portions considerably smaller than the largest cross-section; nevertheless, the fact that the tube is cut on the bias and stitched while under tension makes it possible for the tube to conform to the smaller portions as well as the larger portions.

My improved buckle frame as shown in Figure 3 is generally indicated as B and comprises the two free-end portions 12 which are as wide as, or wider than, any given cross-sectional portion of the buckle frame B. The buckle frame shown in Figure 3 shows the buckle frame portions 14 as wide as the free-end portions 12 but the portions 14 can be narrower than the free-end portions 12 without reducing the efficiency of the completed buckle when the tube 10 is telescoped thereon. The central portion 16 of the buckle frame B has a hole 18 for a belt prong 20 (Figure 4) if one is desired. The free-end portions 12 are also provided with holes 22 through which the end portions of the tube 10 may be vstitched to anchor it to the buckle frame if this type of stitching is desired.

The tube 10 is adapted to be telescoped over the buckle frame B, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, by simply slipping the tube over the frame. At a selected distance from the rear end the tube may be stitched to the frame B through the adjacent hole 22. The stitching may take place a short distance from the end of the tube 10 to provide a tail portion which may be used to close and conceal the gap between the free-end portions 12 of the buckle frame by extending the same across such gap, telescoping the same on the opposite free-end portion of the buckle and securing it thereto in any approved manner.

Figures 5 and 6 show a modified and improved form of a buckle frame B wherein the free-ends 12' are widened outwardly instead of tapering inwardly as shown and claimed in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,380,383. It is not necessary in this type of buckle frame to have the free-end portions 12' as wide as, or wider than, the other portions of the buckle frame as in the square-type buckle frame shown in Figures 3 and 4. In all other 'respects'the teaching described above applies equally to this modified form of buckle frame and will not be repeated here.

In square-types of buckle frames, when the buckles are used with belting (not'shown) the greatest stress is placed in the central area defined by the free-end portions 14 and the central'portion 16. It is in this area that the buckle frame weakens and bends and becomes fatigued until it breaks. I have found that by widening the free-end portions 12 and employing the configuration shown inFigure 3 the problem of bending and break ing is solved. I

Despite the fact that the free-end portions 12 of the buckle construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are as wide as, or widerthan, the buckle frame B, a smooth taut fit of the tube 10 is possible because the fabric tube It) has been cut on the bias and the tube stitched while under tension, thereby making it possible to conform to the irregularities of the buckle frame, so long as the I intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions as fall within the'true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

In a covered S-shaped buckle frame comprising a fabric tube covering said frame having helical warp and weft and having a maximum lateral dimension corresponding to the dimension of the wide portion of the frame, said tube having a longitudinally extending loose and stretchable seam in taut relation on said frame with the freeend portions secured for maintaining said taut relation, said loose seam allowing said tube to contract when under tension for snugly and smoothly conforming to the narrower portions of the frame, the improvement of the buckle frame comprising a frame having free-end portions of a width substantially equal to the widest portion of said frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,147,338 Nevills July 20,1915

2,186,574 Chadirjian et al. Jan. 9 1940 2,380,383 Ballard July 31,1945

FOREIGN PATENTS 262,553 Italy Feb. 4, 1929 495,451 Great Britain Nov. 14, 1938 976,895 France Nov. 1, 1950 

